Three for One
by suzie2b
Summary: The Rat Patrol is making a trade.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Three for One**

 **By Suzie2b**

" **This is Black Bird calling Blue. Come in Blue. Over." Charley paused for several seconds, then repeated the call for the third time. She caught a reflection out of the corner of her eye and turned. "Oh no." She grabbed the binoculars and checked. "Oh no! What are they doing out here?"**

 **A voice on the radio said, "This is Blue. This is Blue. Come in Black Bird. Over."**

 **Charley grabbed the microphone and quickly said, "This is Black Bird! My jeep broke down!" She hurriedly gave her approximate coordinates. "But now a German patrol is coming this way and I have nowhere to hide!"**

 **##################**

 **Troy frowned. "A German patrol … in that sector?"**

 **Captain Boggs let the piece of paper fall to the desktop. "This is the first report we've had of Germans in that area." He sighed. "And on top of that I got a message from the radio operator saying Black Bird had broken down and a German patrol was headed her way. We haven't been able to contact her since."**

 **Moffitt said, "Charley went on a mission alone, captain?"**

 **The captain sighed. "There were no available drivers. It's less than a day to Major Tarry's camp and back. That sector had been checked out and cleared three days ago so I let her go."**

 **Troy asked, "How long has it been since Charley called?"**

 **Boggs replied, "About three hours."**

 **Troy took the paper with the coordinates and serial number of the jeep the captain handed him. "We'll head out there immediately."**

 **##################**

 **Charley was taken into a tent with her hands tied in front of her and was pushed roughly into a chair facing a desk. The guard looked down at her and told her to stay put. "Nicht bewegen." She hadn't let on that she understood the language, but she wasn't going to try to escape anyway.**

 **A long, uncomfortable few minutes later a captain walked in and sat down at the desk. He looked at Charley appraisingly before he told the guard to remove the ropes. "Entfernen Sie die Seile,** **Grenadier** **." As the ropes were taken off her wrists, the captain introduced himself. "I am Captain Herman Schulz. Tell me who you are."**

 **Charley rubbed her sore, raw wrists and said quietly, "Charley Pettigrew. Serial number** **A-771188."**

 **Captain Schulz smiled. "And your rank?"**

" **I'm with the volunteer services."**

" **Judging by the way you are dressed I would say you are a courier. Am I right?" Charley nodded slowly and the captain continued. "Nothing of consequence was found on you or in your vehicle, so you must have delivered your dispatch before my men found you. Care to tell me what was in that dispatch you delivered?"**

 **Charley brought her chin up defiantly and looked him in the eye. "You've gotten all the information from me you're going to get, captain."**

 **Captain Schulz said, "We shall see." They continued to stare at each other as he told the guard to put her in a tent with guards at the door. "Ihr in ein leeres Zelt mit am Schutz an der Tür."**

 **##################**

 **The jeeps were quickly and methodically readied. When Moffitt got into the passenger seat he looked over at Tully and saw the white knuckled grip he had on the steering wheel. "It's going to be all right, Tully. We're going to find her."**

 **Tully took a deep breath and let it out slowly, relaxing his grip slightly. "I know, sarge. But thinking of her in German hands just makes me crazy."**

 **Two hours later they were at the coordinates Charley had given, but there was no sign of the jeep. Troy looked at the top of a sand dune and said, "Hitch, go up and take a look around."**

 **Sure enough, the broken down jeep was on the other side. Hitch hurried down and said, "Charley wasn't far off. There's a jeep over there."**

 **They drove around the dune to the jeep and Moffitt checked the serial number against the one they were given. "This is it."**

 **Hitch tried to start the engine, but it wouldn't turn over. He looked at his fellow private and said, "Fuel line?"**

 **Tully nodded. "Sounds like it."**

 **Troy said, "Get it fixed. We'll pick it up later. Hitch, back up on the hill. Keep your eyes open." He went to join Moffitt where the sergeant was staring out at the desert. "What do you see?"**

" **Nothing." Moffitt pointed to the tracks that the wind and sand were working to cover. "Everything points north though. She must be out there."**

 **Troy looked at the tracks. "Let's go find her." He turned and said, "How's it going, Tully?"**

" **It's goin', sarge. Just need to reconnect the fuel line." Then Tully muttered to himself. "I gotta remember to teach Charley how to clear these things."**

 **##################**

 **As the sun went down it got cold. Charley sat on the sandy floor of an empty tent with her knees pulled up to her chest and arms wrapped tightly around them as she shivered in the dark. It had been fairly quiet in the camp, with the exception of the low voices of the guards outside as they talked, mostly about her. Then she saw a light and heard Captain Schulz's voice calling out orders.**

 **When he reached the door, he stopped and held up a lantern as he peered inside. When he caught sight of Charley, he stepped inside. "I must apologize. I was unaware your accommodations were so poor."**

 **Charley stood up and as her teeth chattered, she said, "I've been in worse places, captain."**

 **Schulz turned and told the men waiting outside to bring the things they had with them inside. "Bringen Sie die Dinge auf."**

 **Charley watched as a small table and a chair was brought in, then a cot, and several blankets.**

 **The captain set the lantern and a box of matches on the table. He picked up one of the blankets off the cot. He stepped over to stand in front of Charley and she took a step back. Schulz smiled and let the blanket fall open as he held it. "Please. You are cold." Tentatively, she allowed him to wrap the blanket around her shoulders. He rubbed her upper arms as if to try to work some warmth into her. "There now, isn't that better?"**

 **Charley nodded. "Yes. Thank you, captain."**

 **A voice outside announced that dinner had arrived. Captain Schulz took the tray and set it on the table. "It is not much, but it isn't bad. It is the same thing we all had to eat tonight." With a slight bow, he said, "I will leave you to eat and get some rest. We will talk in the morning."**

 **After the captain left, Charley went to the table and took a drink of water from the canteen that was on the tray before she uncovered the plate. She realized her stomach was growling as she sat down to a hot meal of small sausages and potatoes with brown gravy.**

 **##################**

 **Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully arrived at the location of Captain Schulz's camp after dark. They were on a hill overlooking the camp and silently watched as a captain with a lantern walked up to a guarded tent and went in. They saw a table, a chair, a cot, and blankets taken inside.**

 **Tully asked quietly, "Think Charley's in there?"**

 **A tray was taken in next and Moffitt said, "Judging by the guards, I would say yes."**

" **Are we going in after her?"**

 **Troy watched the captain exit the tent, leaving the lantern behind. "It looks like she's safe for tonight. We'll work out a plan and go in tomorrow morning. I want to try to get Charley out of there without getting her shot."**

 **After a K-ration dinner, Hitch trudged up the hill to relieve Tully on watch. Less than five minutes later he was back in camp. "He refuses to come down, sarge."**

 **Troy sighed as he stood up. "All right. I'll go talk to him."**

 **On top of the hill Tully sat cross-legged on the ground watching the dull glow of the tent below with his machine gun across his lap. Troy sat down next to him and said quietly, "Hitch is supposed to relieve you."**

 **Tully nodded in the dark. "No need. I'm okay."**

" **What you need is to eat and get some rest."**

" **Sarge?"**

" **Yeah, Tully."**

" **Every time Charley gets into trouble or gets hurt I just want to scream. I can't help but think that one day she may not come back to me." Tully glanced at the sergeant, then said, "I've never told anyone this, but I had a dream awhile back. In it Charley was killed when the convoy she was with was attacked."**

 **Troy said, "It was just a dream, Tully."**

" **I had to pack up her things to send home." Darkness hid the tear that slid down Tully's cheek. "I felt so alone and empty. I found her pistol in her satchel…"**

 **Troy grabbed him by the arm and turned him to look him in the eye. He said, sternly, "Listen to me. It was just a dream. Charley's smart and strong. We have to believe she's alive and well down there, and she'll be going home with us tomorrow."**

 **Tully started, "But…"**

" **No buts. Never think about that dream again. You have to have faith in yourself, in Charley, and in the team. Got it?"**

 **Tully took a sighing breath and said, "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. It was just a dream."**

 **Troy said, "I'm glad you told me about it though. I can understand you not wanting to tell Charley, but keeping it all bottled up inside isn't the right way to handle the feelings it obviously gave you." The light in the tent went out. "Looks like she's gone to bed. Let Hitch come up and take over now."**

 **Tully took one last look at the darkened tent, then nodded as they stood up together.**

 **##################**

 **Charley had wrapped herself in all three of the blankets that had been brought to her and had slept fairly well after her meal. She awoke when she heard a voice outside. Charley sat up slowly as a young soldier stepped in with a pail of steaming water and said in broken English, "Captain Schulz … he thought you might want to…" He made motions with one hand, as if washing himself, while trying to think of the word he wanted. "…clean yourself before breakfast."**

 **Charley smiled at his efforts. "Thank you." He set the water, along with a towel and a bar of soap on the table, then turned to go. "Excuse me…" He turned back. "Would you close the tent flap on your way out, please?" He nodded and left, pulling the flap down as he walked out.**

 **After lighting the lantern, Charley proceeded to strip to her underwear and wash up.**

 **##################**

 **Moffitt walked to the top of the hill and asked, "Anything going on?"**

 **Troy said, "Camp's starting to wake up. Someone took a bucket of water into the tent with a towel a few minutes ago."**

 **Moffitt nodded. "They're trying to gain Charley's trust by allowing her to be somewhat comfortable."**

 **The two sergeants stood there discussing the plans they'd made the night before when they saw the same soldier that had brought the water walk up to the tent. They could tell that something was being said, then the flap was pulled aside. Charley was buttoning the last button on her blouse as she stepped out and was escorted away followed by the two guards. Troy and Moffitt went down to the jeeps to get ready.**

 **##################**

 **Charley bid Captain Schulz a good morning as she walked into his tent. The captain stood as she entered and said, "I hope your night was comfortable."**

 **Charley sat down in the offered chair. "As comfortable as could be expected, captain." Breakfast was brought in and a plate of the same kind of sausages she had the evening before along with a piece of pan-fried sweetbread, cheese, and figs was set before her. "I see sausages are popular here."**

 **Captain Schulz chuckled. "It is what we received as rations I'm afraid. By the time we get back to our base I won't wish to see another canned sausage for a long while."**

 **After that, the conversation became mostly one-sided, as Charley either couldn't or wouldn't answer the majority of his questions.**

 **They were midway through their meal when one of the guards standing outside said, "Hauptmann Schulz, es gibt zwei amerikanischen Jeeps nähern."**

 **The captain had wondered if Charley understood the German that had been spoken around her. He looked at her for a reaction. There was none, so he said, "Please excuse me, but duty calls. Continue with your meal."**

 **Captain Schulz stepped out of the tent as the two jeeps stopped just outside the camp. He walked over to where his men had the four allied soldiers at gunpoint. "Good morning, gentlemen. I am Captain Schulz. May I ask the reason for this visit?"**

 **Troy, who was standing behind the 50 caliber holding a white flag, got straight to the point, "You're holding one of our people prisoner, captain. We want her back."**

" **A prisoner? No, she is merely a guest after her jeep broke down in the desert."**

" **Then you won't mind letting us take her with us when we leave."**

 **The captain smiled. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. Her 'guest' status is permanent. I intent do take her back to my base. She will eventually go to a POW camp."**

 **Moffitt saw Tully tense and carefully leaned down from behind his 50 to put a hand on the private's shoulder in hopes of calming him.**

 **Troy said, "Then how about a trade, captain?"**

 **Schulz eyed him suspiciously. "A trade? What do you have in mind?"**

" **The other day we took three Germans prisoner. I'm willing to trade all three of them for the woman."**

" **Who are these prisoners?"**

 **Troy replied, "Captain Hans Dietrich and two of his men. The rest of his patrol fled or was destroyed."**

 **The captain said, "Where are these prisoners being held?"**

" **At our base."**

 **They saw Charley step out of the tent behind Captain Schulz. She and Tully locked eyes for a moment before she was forced back inside by a guard.**

 **Captain Schulz paced back and forth for several minutes before he finally said, "All right. Bring the prisoners here to me and I will consider this trade."**

 **Troy shook his head. "No, sir. I want your word as a German officer that if I bring Dietrich and his men to you, you will release the woman."**

 **The captain smiled. "Very well. You have my word."**

 **Troy nodded. "We'll be back in four hours, captain." He pointed to Moffitt and Tully in the second jeep. "They're staying here to keep an eye on things."**

 **Hitch drove away with Troy and Captain Schulz walked back to his tent. A few minutes later Moffitt and Tully watched as Charley was escorted back to her tent under guard. She looked concerned, but unharmed as she looked at them.**

 **Once the jeep was out of sight, Troy had Hitch stop long enough so he could radio headquarters that the trade was a go.**

 **##################**

 **The hours ticked by slowly. Moffitt was glad Troy had radioed Captain Boggs about the trade before setting their plan in motion. It would save a lot of time and argument back at base.**

 **The German guards continued to hold their guns on the Brit and American. Moffitt remained behind the 50 and Tully stayed behind the wheel, ready to go at a moment's notice.**

 **When Troy and Hitch got to Ras Tanura, Captain Boggs had the prisoners ready to go in a truck with a driver and two guards. As they neared the German camp, they pulled in behind the hill again. Troy went to the top and saw that Moffitt and Tully hadn't moved. As he watched, he saw Captain Schulz come out of his tent. It was time.**

 **Captain Schulz walked from his tent to stand in front of the jeep. "It has been four hours. Where are they?"**

 **Moffitt said, "They're coming, captain. Don't worry."**

 **It wasn't long before the jeep stopped beside its counterpart and the truck pulled up behind them. Troy looked at Moffitt and asked, "Everything okay?"**

 **Moffitt gave a nod. "Nothing's changed."**

 **Troy looked back at Captain Schulz and said, "Bring the woman out."**

 **Schulz said, "And where are the men you were to bring to me?"**

" **As soon as the woman is out here, I'll get them."**

" **Very well." The captain turned to one of his men and told him to bring Charley out. "Die Frau, die hier."**

 **When Charley was standing next to Captain Schulz, she said, "Hi, guys."**

 **Troy asked, "Are you all right?"**

" **I'm fine. I just want to go home."**

 **Troy nodded and hopped out of the jeep to go to the back of the truck. One by one Captain Dietrich and his two men exited the back of the truck. Troy took his sidearm out of its holster and said, "All right. Let's go. Single file."**

 **Dietrich saw Charley and said, "You're actually trading us to get your courier back?"**

 **Troy gave a nod. "That's the idea."**

" **For some reason I think I am insulted."**

" **Don't take it personally, captain."**

 **Troy marched the three men forward to the jeeps. He then let two of them go ahead into the camp and held Captain Dietrich back.**

 **Captain Schulz held Charley by the arm. "Well, send him as well."**

 **Troy said, "When you turn her loose, I'll let him go."**

 **The captain smiled. "I must admit, you are getting the better part of this bargain."**

 **Captain Dietrich looked a bit miffed at the comment, but said nothing. Captain Schulz released Charley. She looked him in the eye and smiled as she told him good bye. "Abschied." As he looked on in surprise, she started to walk away from him. Troy let Dietrich begin his walk towards freedom. As the two prisoners passed, they glance at one another and kept moving.**

 **When Charley was close enough, Troy said, "Get in the truck."**

 **She hesitated a moment to glance at Tully, then ran to the truck and climbed into the passenger seat.**

 **Captain Schulz said, "Our transaction is complete, gentlemen."**

 **Troy got into the jeep and said, "If I were you, I'd head as quick as you can back to your own lines, captain."**

 **Schulz watched them drive away as he said, "What did he mean by that? A threat?"**

 **Captain Dietrich smiled slightly. "It means, captain, that we are in allied territory and as you can see, they are very aware of it. I can guarantee that a large compliment of men and machines will be here before morning to make sure we leave." He looked at Schulz. "He is giving us a chance to get away. I suggest we do just that."**

 **##################**

 **They made a quick stop to pick up Charley's jeep, letting one of the extra men drive it to base. They weren't even stopped long enough to let Tully check on Charley. Then they didn't stop again until they got back to Ras Tanura.**

 **As soon as the truck was stopped in the motor pool, Charley slid out and ran to Tully, who was quickly coming her way. He engulfed her in his arms and asked quietly, "Are you all right, sweetheart?"**

 **Charley nodded against his chest, her voice muffled as she said, "I couldn't be better right now."**

 **They stood there holding each other until Moffitt tapped the private on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Charley will need to come with Troy and I to report to Captain Boggs."**

 **Tully took her hand and said, "Right now she's not going anywhere without me."**

 **Troy grinned. "Come on, Hitch. You may as well join us."**

 **After giving Captain Boggs the short version of what happened and promising written reports in the morning, the five of them left headquarters.**

 **Troy said, "Well, we've got the rest of the day to ourselves."**

 **Hitch said, "I'm going for some lunch and a beer. Anyone want to come along?"**

" **Sounds good to me."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "That will just hit the spot at the moment."**

 **Charley looked up at Tully. "Shall we join them?"**

 **Tully shook his head. "Sorry, guys, but I've got something more important to do first. We'll try to catch up with you."**

 **Thinking she knew what he had in mind, she said with a smile, "Oh? And what's so important it can't wait another hour?"**

 **Tully took her hand and said, "I'm going to teach you how to clear a fuel line."**

 **As he started to walk away with his wife in tow, a surprised Charley said, "What … wait! Now?"**


End file.
